Painting Ice Box and Engine Beds

We chose to use Alexseal Epoxy Primer and Alexseal Premium Topcoat for the engine compartment beds and surrounding  hull.  Why the Alexseal? 

• We used the same system on the interior of the new ice box and are very pleased with the finished product. 
• The Alexseal system will create a durable, glossy, easily cleaned surface. These attributes are desirable in both the engine compartment and the ice box.
• We need to paint the seam along the aft wall of the ice box. Using the same paint will allow us to tackle both the engine compartment and the ice box project at the same time.

I know it’s been awhile since we mentioned the ice box rebuild (Ice Box Rebuild Photo Album).   We completed the fabrication of the new ice box last spring.  Painting the seam along the aft interior wall remained unfinished.

Seam along the aft wall of the ice box is prepped and ready for primer.

Building up the Alexseal epoxy primer "wet on wet" creates a stronger bond between the layers and eliminates sanding between coats.  How to reach the aft end of the compartment without marring the still tacky primer? 

The lower engine compartment ready for primer.

I experimented with painting the aft area via the cockpit locker and quarterberth access panels, but this proved too awkward.  My solution... leave the tops of the engine beds for another round of painting and place a piece of ¾” plywood across the beds.  This created a stable, albeit slightly angled, platform above the curing primer.

3/4" Plywood painting platform atop the engine beds.

Using this system I applied four coats of primer…

Four coats of epoxy primer complete.

The primer must cure for a minimum of 3 hours between coats.  The four coats of primer when on over a two day time span. The primer must be allowed to cure for 24 hours and then sanded before the top coat application. 

   

When using a brush to apply top coats a 24 hour cure time followed by sanding is required between coats.  The sanding generates unwanted dust so the area must be cleaned and wiped down in prep for the next coat.  Applying the two top coats occurred over a four day time span.

The finished product... a blank canvas on which to begin the engine install.

The top of the engine beds still require some primer and paint.

The top of the engine beds will be painted along with the interior face of the ice box lid.  The ice box lid is still under construction, but the ice box interior is looking good.

The interior of the new ice box is ready for divider & shelving installation.

The next step on the ice box is to install the vertical divider and the shelves.

The Mental Exercise Prior to the Physical Progress

Spending time to fully plan out a project, or at least one component of a large project, prior to making that first cut, boring a pilot hole, or applying an initial layer of epoxy is a wise investment. 

The time I devote to creating templates and testing designs is definitely increasing as my experience working on boats expands. Or perhaps as the size and cost of the boats on which I work is increasing.  I vividly recall the trepidation with which I approached drilling a hole for a drain plug in a new plastic whitewater kayak over twenty years ago.  Now I find myself boring 1-7/8” holes in the hulls of custom built offshore sailing vessels that are closer to 100’ than the length of that long ago kayak.  Perhaps expending time planning prior to action equates to wisdom gained through time and experience, I am, at least chronologically speaking, what most Americans consider middle age.   

Ok, enough philosophical musing.  Let’s talk boat projects.  I’m in the head scratching, throw pasta at the wall and see what sticks, scrap that idea and move on to the next portion of three different projects.

Ice Box Lids…

Test fitting lids after completing modifications to the box.

The fabrication of a new ice box is complete, save for those damn lids.  I cannot figure out how to best add insulation to the inside of the lids and insure a good seal along the opening.

Notes from experimenting with various methods of insulating the lids

Never thought the lids would be the most difficult aspect of the re-build.  See our Ice Box Rebuild Photo Album for images of the latest progress.

Plumbing Drains…

Myriad of plumbing fittings.  Remind anyone of days spent playing with Legos or Tinker Toys?

In an effort to reduce the length of hose runs and not feed too much water to the drain manifold (see – New Deck & Bilge Pump Drain Manifold) we are adding two 1-1/2” thru-hull fittings above the waterline on opposite sides of the hull.  The port fitting will serve as a discharge for the upper, 3700G/H bilge pump.  The plumbing associated with this system required only minor experimentation.

The starboard thru-hull act as a drain for the deck scupper.  As with our previous vessel (SV C’est la Vie) we want the ability to fill water jugs from the deck scupper. The ability to collect (then filter) rain water off the deck proved very helpful on our last extended trip in the islands. 

Test fitting the final draft of the new starboard deck scupper plumbing.

The mechanics of the plumbing took some time to work out. We definitely want to have the details worked out prior to drilling the hole in the hull.  See our Quarterberth Re-fit Photo Album for the current progress on this project.

Electrical Panel…

Designing the inner workings of the electrical panel from scratch is both enticing and daunting.  I began by creating cardboard templates of the space available.

Cardboard templates of the space available for the electrical panel wiring. 

I then experimented with the layout of terminal strips and busbars atop the templates using different color pens to illustrate AC & DC wire runs.

Experimenting with the layout of AC & DC wiring, terminal strips, and busbars.  

Once satisfied with the layout, I taped the templates into position.

Test fitting the electrical panel template in position along the hull.

Then made a few more modifications to the design.  

See our Navigation Station Re-Fit Photo Album for images and notes current progress.

The planning continues.

New Bulkhead In the Cockpit Locker

 The template of the cockpit locker hull I created a few months ago (here is a link - January 18, 2015) has proven very helpful.  I utilized it for shaping the ice box insulation and the new plywood bulkhead.

Attaching scrap 1" X 2" to template  to attain the proper fit for the new  bulkhead.

After building out the insulation, the template fit more accurately along the hull than along the top or vertical side.  I clamped and screwed pieces of scrap 1” X 2” lumber to the plywood template to accurately capture the outside dimensions of the new bulkhead.

Tracing the template onto the sheet of marine plywood.

Once satisfied with the fit, I clamped the template atop the plywood and marked out the new bulkhead.

I am amazed at what boat owners and contractors will leave behind or toss in boat yard dumpsters. We have used a lot of recycled and reclaimed materials in our refit, but, mission critical components (thru-hull fittings, standing rigging, backing plates, etc.)  require total confidence in the materials.  New, marine plywood for bulkheads definitely falls onto our required materials list.

Some projects require absolute confidence in the materials.

We anticipate one 4’ X 8’ sheet will allow us to complete all the new structural components of the cockpit locker cabinetry.   We will be posting more information on the changes to the cockpit locker in the near future.

Installing new bulkhead.

The new bulkhead fit precisely on the initial cut.  The top and side panels, from the same sheet of marine plywood were quick to follow.

Looking down thru cockpit locker access at new bulkhead assembly. 

Initially, I installed the three pieces with fillets of epoxy and #8 X 1” countersunk wood screws.  Once the epoxy fillets cured, I cut and test fit 1708 cloth tabbing.

Test fitting layers of 1708 cloth tabbing.

Wetting out and installing large sections of tabbing in cramped quarters is definitely a two person job. Anne joined in the fun.

Anne preparing to lay up tabbing on new bulkhead.

Structurally the bulkhead is now complete.

Two to three layers of tabbing on new bulkhead.

We got big plans for the rest of the cockpit locker.  Oh yeah and an ice box to finish up.

More images and notes from this on-going project are available in the Ice Box Rebuild Photo Album. 

Molding A Semi-Circular Fiberglass Conduit

When constructing the 25" long conduit running under the ice box ( see – January 17^th Post) I used prefabricated, 1” thick foam core paneling.  The paneling provided additional insulation under the box and the completed assembly added structurally to the hull by serving as a stringer between two transverse bulkheads.

The 5” long section of conduit running between the aft panel of the ice box and the new cockpit locker bulkhead does not need to provide additional insulation nor contribute structurally.  It’s sole function is to provide a water tight passage way under the ice box insulation.  Thus I chose a quicker and less costly method for building a conduit… 

Save for some two-part epoxy all the components of the conduit fabrication are pictured

Using a plastic, 1G jug and some duct tape I created a fiberglass mold for the section of conduit required.

The duct tape serves as a mold release agent and as part of the mold.

I began by cutting the  jug in half.  To assist in maintaining the shape of the plastic ran one strip of tape across the open face of the jug.  I then placed the jug on a board covered with plastic sheeting and covered it with duct tape.  Epoxy will not bond to duct tape so it serves in place of mold release wax.  The duct tape also allowed me to create a nice radius at the intersection of the jug and the base.

Test fitting the 1708 cloth on the mold.

I then cut a section of 1708 cloth to cover the mold.  One layer of cloth was adequate for my application, but additional layers could be added to create a load bearing conduit.

Time to walk away and let the epoxy cure.

I then wet out the cloth and laid it over the mold and went home for the night.

Conduit fresh off the mold.

The next morning I lifted the conduit off the mold.   While wearing leather gloves I dressed the sharp, jagged edges by hand sanding with 35 grit paper then sanded the entire piece with 80 grit sandpaper.

fitting the conduit to the hull and bulkhead.

I fit the piece in position and marked the excess material.  The single layer of cloth cut easily with a jig saw with a metal cutting blade.  I believe that tin snips would also work for shaping the piece.  Fine tuning the fit was done using 80 grit paper on an orbital sander.

Conduit bonded to hull and bulkhead with thickened epoxy and cloth tabbing.

Once satisfied with the fit, I used two small sections of fiberglass cloth to tab the base flanges to the hull.  I sealed the fore and aft ends of the conduit to the adjacent bulkheads with a fillet of thickened epoxy.  

Now it is time to bury the conduit under layers of ice box insulation.

More images and notes from this on-going project are available in the Ice Box Rebuild Photo Album. 

Building Out The Back of the Ice Box

Installing the final interior panel of the ice box and building out the cockpit locker components seems to be progressing at a meteoric pace relative the fairing, priming, and painting of the last few weeks.

Tabbing and fairing the aft panel into the box is going to get messy.  In preparation I masked all the freshly painted areas of the box.

Not taking any chances with the masking on the the counter tops or freshly painted ice box.

I sanded the fresh primer &  paint off the areas that will receive tabbing.

Tabbing the aft panel will require me to hang my head, arms, and a good portion of my torso into the box while handling wet fiberglass cloth.  Adding an extra set of hands to pass me materials will limit the scope of the mess.  So that portion of the project is on hold until Anne can join me for a project day on the boat.

Working solo, I was able to insert the aft panel and bond it to the box with a bead of thickened epoxy around the perimeter.   I then used a syringe to inject thickened epoxy into any gaps I discovered between the panel and the box.

Marking off sections of the hull that will receive tabbing with grinder at the ready. 

While the epoxy cured I marked out the areas along the hull in the sail locker that will be receiving tabbing for the new bulkhead.  Achieving a proper bond for the tabbing will require exposing the solid fiberglass hull.  All the paint & gel coat must go! Time to suit up for a messy grinding session.

Areas to receive tabbing ground down to bare fiberglass

Whew.  Glad that is done.  The joys of grinding down a heavy layer of gel coat to expose bare fiberglass in an enclosed space can really only be appreciated through personal experience.  Disposable coveralls, leather gloves, and full face respirator required!

Since the conduit on this portion of the project does not run directly under the ice box, I chose more simple, but less insulated fabrication.   I created a section of conduit by molding fiberglass into an arc with tabs on either side.

Fiberglass conduit tabbed to hull and bonded with fillet across arc.

Once the conduit layup cured, I installed it with tabbing to the hull and a fillet along the arc.  Check out my post on Molding a Fiberglass Conduit for more details about fabricating this piece.

Now for some insulation.  First a layer of Reflectix.

Inner layer of Reflectix insulation mounted using 3M spray adhesive.

Next  - four layers of 1” foam board followed by two additional layers of Reflectix

Save for the amount of exposed conduit this image is not much different that the previous.

That brings the insulation on the back of the ice box to nearly 5”, 4–15/16” for the detail oriented readers. 

I started off the post expressing my excitement at how quickly this portion of the ice box project is progressing.  As a reality check the work covered in this post took me approximately 12 to 16 hours over 3 days.

Next up…. Well it will either be a post on fabricating the fiberglass conduit or the new bulkhead.  Stay tuned…

More images and notes from this on-going project are available in the Ice Box Rebuild Photo Album. 

Painting the Interior of the Ice Box - Round 1

As mentioned in the previous post, we have chosen to paint the majority of the ice box interior prior to installing the aft panel.  While this sequence will require a second round of priming and painting for the fiberglass work around perimeter of the aft panel, we believe the overall results will be better than attempting to paint the interior of the ice box solely from the counter top access.

Achieving the durability and high gloss (read - easy to clean) finish we want in the box requires use of two part epoxy paint.  I’m not a big fan of all the chemicals and steps involved in the application of epoxy paints, but the finished product is superior to latex or enamel paints.

The yard at which we are hauled out primarily uses AlexsealPaints for their projects.  A ready supply of Alexseal primers, paints, converters, reducers, etc. at hand made the decision of what paint to use an obvious one.

Preparing to apply the first coat of primer.

One cost saving trick I have learned from the professional painters is to use aluminum foil as a tray liner.  The foil is much cheaper than the prefab plastic pan liners.  The foil can also be used to mask odd shaped objects (i.e. stanchions, cowlings, blocks, etc.).

The Alexseal primer rolled on very well.  Using the foam roller pictured above it did not require tipping to achieve a smooth surface.   I was able to roll on three coats of high build primer in one day.

Three coats of primer on the aft panel

After allowing the primer to cure for 24 hours, I sanded it down with 220 grit paper.

Ice box interior with three coats of primer.

The top coat required curing (12 to 24 hours) and sanding (320 to 400 grit) between applications.  The initial round of top coat application was the most successful. The paint flowed wonderfully off the roller and required little in the way of tipping.  I believe this is due to sheer luck with choosing the correct amount of reducer.

The second coat I added too little reducer and ended up with some brush marks from tipping.

The third coat I added too much reducer and ended up with a few sags.  Fortunately I am working inside an ice box and not along a hull or deck.

 

Aft panel painting completed.

Ice box interior with painting completed.

Overall I am pleased with the finished product.  Additional practice with the Alexseal topcoat would allow me to become proficient with choosing the proper amount to reducer.  I say “would” because I do not plan on spending a lot of time in my future applying epoxy paints.  Have I mentioned that painting is not my favorite activity?

The next step of the process is to permanently install the aft panel.  Once the aft panel is in place, we will be able to get work done on two fronts… Adding insulation to the lids in the galley and building out the insulation & walls in the cockpit locker.

 More images and notes from this on-going project are available in the Ice Box Rebuild Photo Album. 

Fitting the Ice Box Aft Panel

Fortunately we are be able to re-use the original fore and aft panels of the ice box.  

Re-using the original ice box panels.  Aft panel on left and portion of forward panel on right.

Over a month ago, I laminated the fiberglass aft panel to one of ½” plywood sections we removed to gain access to the ice box. The ½” plywood backing stiffened and straitened the panel. 

The project is finally at a stage where I need to fit the aft panel to the new ice box.  Temporarily mounting the aft panel across the opening was accomplished via wood screws along the lower edge and creative stacking of my improvised clamps (Installing Ice Box Panels – Part 1)  along the upper starboard side.

Aft panel temporarily in position.

Reaching into the ice box from the galley, I used a pencil to trace the shape of the box onto the interior face of the panel.

Using a jigsaw I rough cut the excess material intentionally leaving the piece slightly over sized.  I then used a grinder with a 35 grit sanding pad to achieve a precise fit.  It took four trips between the hole and the workbench to achieve a snug fit.

After four trips between the grinder and the ice box, I am pleased with the fit.

The final panel of the new ice box is now in place… temporarily.   

Painting the interior of the box with two part epoxy paint will require at least 3 coats of primer and 3 top coats.  This means at least 4 rounds of sanding the inside of the box.  I’ve decided to paint the interior of the box with the aft panel removed.  After the painting is complete I will fiberglass the aft panel in place.  This will mean a second round of fillets, fairing, ad painting, but I will complete this work in conjunction with modifying the ice box lids. 

Wow.  It is really a box now.

I did take advantage of having an aft wall to create a template for the acrylic vertical divider.  The divider will separate the freezer section from the fridge section.  I believe the evaporator box will be mounted on the divider as well.

Template for 1/2" acrylic divider.

Next step is priming and painting… definitely not my favorite step in the process.

More images and notes from this on-going project as available in the Ice Box Rebuild Photo Album.

Fillets and Fairing for the Ice Box

Once in place all the inside corners of the ice box were bonded together by laying a 4” wide strip of 6 oz fiberglass cloth atop a large fillet of epoxy thickened with cabosil (West 406 filler.)

Using 6oz fiberglass cloth over thickened epoxy to structurally join the ice box panels. 

The three butt joints (floor, forward wall, and ceiling) were filled with thickened epoxy and then covered with a 3” wide strip of fiberglass cloth.

Once cured the epoxy and fiberglass combination created structurally sound, watertight joints with a rough faces and irregular edges.    If left in this state the fiberglass joints would be difficult to clean and aesthetically unpleasing. 

Time for fillets and fairing. 

Fillets equate to filling an angular inside corner with thickened epoxy to create a nice even radius between the two faces.

Round on of  fairing and fillets applied.

Fairing is laying thickened epoxy (or other fairing compound) atop a rough or irregular surface in an effort to smooth the surface and hide any irregularities.

For the ice box project I used West Systems Epoxy thickened with a generic brand of micro-balloon filler (similar to West Systems 410).  This type of fairing filler adds little strength to the joint, but it sands easily and creates a smooth even surface.

Round one of fillets and fairing after sanding with 80 grit paper.

When applying fairing or creating fillets I prefer to begin by spreading the wet epoxy out scrap piece of cardboard, approximately one foot square, similar to a painter’s pallet.  Spreading the epoxy out extends the working time and working off the “pallet” creates less mess on the spreaders.

Various spreaders used in ice box project.

The choice of spreader is dictated by the dimensions of the surface to be faired or the size of fillet to be created.  Unable to find a spreader to match the fillets I wished to create in the ice box, I cut down a larger plastic spreader to the desired size. (small yellow spreader on left in image above.)

Another method of applying epoxy to a corner for creating fillets is the “icing bag” technique.  Place the thickened epoxy into a thick walled plastic bag (or two).  Cut an opening slightly smaller than the fillet you wish to create in one corner of the bag.  Start with a small opening; it can always be made larger if needed.  Twist the top of the bag to seal. Apply pressure to bag or continue to add twists to the top to force epoxy out the small opening.  I’m certain there are better descriptions of this technique with images and videos available on-line.  I chose not to use this method for the ice box because the desired fillets were very large.

Large fillets in ice box will make cleaning easier.

Applying fairing and using the spreader to smooth out the fillets is akin to icing a cake.  To carry the icing analogy further… just as the world has cadre of pastry chefs and artists that can create wonders with icing, there are individuals with the ability to efficiently and deftly apply thickened epoxy to a surface and create long, flawless fillets.  My skills have not yet evolved to this point (doubtful if they ever will.)  If you desire additional instruction in applying fairing or creating fillets, then again suggest searching the internet or youtube.

Each application of fairing is followed by a round of sanding.  The first and second rounds of fairing, I used 80 grit sand paper to quickly remove excess material.  On the third and final round of fairing, I used 80 grit paper to eliminate a few rough spots then switched to 120 grit.

Three rounds of filling and sanding complete.  Now read for primer.

The plan is to paint the majority of the interior of the box prior to installing the aft wall.  This will create two rounds of fairing and painting, but I believe the finished product will be of higher quality if the painting is not done while hanging into the box from above.

Three rounds of filling and sanding completed.  Now ready for primer.

The next step is to fit the aft wall of the ice box in place so it can be painted prior to installation.  It is also time to begin work adding insulation to the lid.

More images and notes from this on-going project as available in the Ice Box Rebuild Photo Album.